Blog

Make a Summer Softie – Six to Sew!

Sometimes a little one just needs a good buddy to cuddle and hug, so let’s stitch up a Summer Softie or two! Unique and oh-so-huggable, these six clever designs will make wonderful gifts for a child who needs a new friend. Summer will never be boring with these marvelous imagination starters!

Why, of course, there are Unicorns and you’re about to prove it! Stitch up this sweet Summer Softie for your favorite little from bits of leftover fabrics, a little fabric paint and a few notions. Put your creative hat on and sketch out a unicorn shape, then follow the directions written by Shellie for the Craft Bits blog. If you’re not confident with drawing, the internet has loads of pictures you can use! Shellie uses hot glue for some of Ms. or Mr. Unicorn’s assembly, but I highly recommend sewing to keep the softness going. Click here for the Unicorn tutorial.

Fat Quarters, a scrap of interfacing and a free template add up to a whole herd of elephants from the Birch Fabrics blog! Designer Christina includes super detailed, well-illustrated directions that you’ll find fun and easy to follow. Her specific steps for machine sewn eyes and helpful tips for sewing curves and turning your Elephants are great skills to add to your repertoire! Henry, Helga and their adorable baby are delightful Summer Softie friends that provide hours of games and imaginative play. Click here for The Ellie Family tutorial.

Oh, sweet sock sloth, how fun you are to sew! Designer Joanne put a lot of thought and planning into this smiling Summer Softie found on the Craft Passion blog. You’ll need a pre-washed, thick pair of socks for each sloth, plus stuffing, felt and possibly magnets. Sloth’s hands and feet are optionally magnetized for hanging from branches or bed posts! Joanne includes great tips on how to plan, cut and sew your sloth to make it authentic and efficient to stitch together. And, that face! Joanne has excellent, precise instructions for creating it’s adorableness. Click here for the Sock Sloth tutorial.

How can you go wrong with a Summer Softie pattern from a blog called Fluffmonger? Designer Jenny has a passion for sweet, stuffed creatures and Scrabbles the Raccoon is the sweetest! Jenny gives you lots of free reign on color options for stripes, arms, legs and ears to make your Raccoon individual. Stitched from fleece, Scrabbles the Raccoon has a hand stitched face so he’s super safe for even the youngest Softie lover. You’ll need to subscribe to Jenny’s newsletter to get access to her wonderful, free patterns. When you see all she has to offer, you’ll agree it’s well worth the free subscription! Click here for the Scrabbles the Raccoon tutorial.

Use your sewing superpowers to create a Summer Softie Superhero! They’re ready to save the day and rescue the kids from boredom. Look closely. These are not just any Superheroes. These are recreations of the children who cuddle them! Clever Lisa shares this wonderful design on the Envato Tutorials site. It includes a free pattern, detailed materials list, very clear cutting diagrams and marvelous instructions. Plan a Superhero with your child’s hair and eye color and favorite clothing style for endless play and story telling that will last all season long! Click here for the Softie Superhero tutorial.

Nap time and night time will be welcome events with these darling, huggable Pillow Critters to tuck in with your littles. Fleece fabrics make them super-cuddly while bits of colorful felt and embroidery floss create their bright, enjoyable look. Add to that tracing paper, stuffing, a sewing machine and the free Fish and Bird patterns provided by Better Homes and Gardens and you’ll be set to sew. There are delightful details on these awesome Summer Softies, too. You’ll love the hand-stitched fleece fish tail loops and the covered carbone ring bird eye! Click here for the Fish and Bird Pillow Critters tutorial.

Soft, cuddly, huggable, cozy and handmade. All words that add up to a great gift and a fun experience for you and your little ones. Make it a surprise or make it together. Sewing a Summer Softie is always a snuggly-fun thing to do!

Annette Millard began sewing at the age of three, made her first dress at ten and is always happiest with needle, fabric and thread in her hands. Annette feels very privileged to have spent most of her work life in the sewing industry and loves teaching, making her own handmade wardrobe and writing about sewing. She spent over ten years as the newsletter and web site content writer for the Pacific Northwest's largest locally-owned family of fabric stores and is now thrilled to have the opportunity to share her passion for sewing with the Sewing Secrets community. Follow Annette and more of her sewing adventures on her own blog, www.sewfullife.com.